Politics that are critical to our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness

Mary Pritchard On Common Core

Guess what Ohioans are finding out about after the law was passed? Common Core. Sound familiar?

In 2009, Ohio accepted “Race to the Top” Funds for education to the tune of $400 million. Now we are paying the feds back with loss of local control of our schools!

The folks in favor of Common Core will condescendingly pat us on the head and assure us that standards are not the same as curriculum; but come on, when I need to pass a test, I buy the books that teach to it!

Could someone please tell me why we accepted national standards graded “B” by the Fordham Foundation when there are states with standards graded “A” by the same folks? My answer: Follow the money. By the time local schools have paid for the required computers and curriculum, they will have lined the pockets of some very suave special interest groups.

Don’t worry though, there are some very invested progressives who will not gain money. They will profit from the satisfaction of knowing that our children can only answer the politically correct way, or they will fail the high stakes tests that must be passed! If those tests aren’t passed, we will be given a bad rating. We will lose our funding. Our teachers will be evaluated poorly!

In the 17 years I have been a school board member, I have watched local control dwindle. I watch millions of dollars get spent studying what we already know. Money doesn’t lead to a good education. Parental involvement and a teacher relationship is the key!

Education is for the enlightenment of the mind! In the United States we educate for the preservation of freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Our unique creations are not slabs of human resources for the workforce!

No problem here with a young person being capable of supporting themselves. I just value the American Dream and abhor the thought of a compliant citizenry!

If I am being too passionate to hold your interest, let me try this angle: Where will parents turn if they want to address any issues they have with Common Core? Do they have to track down a non-elected consortium of 40 states that are using Common Core?

Do you trust the government with 400 data points to be collected on your children and shared with the IRS and HHS?

Maybe a simple reminder that the 10th Amendment has always left education to the States will help you see that moving decisions away from parents, teachers, and the local community will only hurt, not help.

Regardless of how I reach you, the minds of our children are at stake and we need to wake up. It is indeed an issue of national security!

About The Author:

Mary Pritchard has been married for 28 years, is the mother of 3 adult children, and a foster parent of burn victims from Central America, treated at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Cincinnati.

Mary has a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University and is an elected member of the governing school board of the Butler County Educational Service Center (over 17 years). Mary is currently the board president and has served in this capacity for 11 years.